Charging apparatus



Nov. 22, 1955 Filed Oct. 9. 1953 P. J. HOMAN CHARGING APPARATUS 1 Of/l ooo ooo

Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. Paw. JHomHhL BYWQM Nov. 22, 1955 P. J. HOMAN 2, 724,514

CHARGING APPARATUS Filed oct. 9,n 1955 4 sheets-sheet 2 f f l INVENTGR. P601. J. Hama WW eA M NV 22, 1955 P. .1. HOMAN 2,724,514

CHARGING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 9, 1953 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. Paz/4. J. Homafx/ "Wam Nav. 22, 1955 P. J. HOMAN 2,724,514

CHARGING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 9, 1953 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 JNVENTOR. g i Paul. J. hbmAA/ BY Maagd@ United States Patent Oiice 2,724,514 Patented Nov. 22, 1955 CHARGING APPARATUSv Application October 9, 1953, Serial `No.685,113A s claims. (ci. 214-18) The present invention relates to a charging apparatus. More particularly, the invention relates to an apparatus for charging the coking chambers of a horizontal coke oven battery.

In the prior art, various devices are used for charging horizontal coke oven batteries. One of the better-known devices is an arrangement whereby a larrycar is moved on a set of rails mounted on the top of a horizontal coke oven battery. Mounted onrthe larry car are` a plurality of hoppers which are fixed in such a spaced relationship that they can communicate with the charging holes of a Coking chamber of the battery when the larry car is moved on the rails over the chamber. Positioned at one end of the battery is an overhead coal bunker or storage bin. The storage bin is equipped -with a plurality of discharge chutes, which are set apart in a spaced relationship in accordance with the spacing of the larrycar hoppers.

ln order to charge the coking chambers of the horizontal coke battery, the larry car is moved along the top of the battery on rails to the end of the battery until the hoppers mounted thereon are located directly under the discharge chutes of the overhead storage bin. With` the lower portion of the hoppers closed, the discharge chutes are opened and a quantity of coal is allowed: to fall and collect` in the hoppers. When the hoppers are loaded, the car is moved back alongthe rails to acokingchamber selected to be charged. The hoppers are aligned with the charging holes of the selected coking` chamber, opened, and coal is discharged into the chamber. The larry car is then returned to the storage bin for a new load and brought back either to the same or another chamber tobe charged.

The aforedescribed device, although simple in its. general arrangement, presents many charging diculties. Be, ing heavy and bulky it is diicult to install` and, when in operation, imparts a considerable vibration to the coke oven batteries. Moreover, the operation., of the device is time-consuming, since it is necessary to move the larry car back and forth to the end of the coke oven battery during loading and unloading operations. Furthermore, the heavy weight of the equipment increases the inertia of the larry car, causing frequent over-,running and malcing spotting of the car dilcult and, in addition", since the charging holes are open during suchfcharging operations, undesirable drafts are created in the-coking chambers.

One of the features of the present invention` is to provide charging equipment that permits the use` of` a lighter larry car, thus reducing the vibrations impartedto` theucoke oven battery.

Another feature of the present invention is to provide a charging apparatus that greatly reduces the. charging time.`

Still another feature of the present invention is to provide a charging apparatus that permits closer charging control of the coke oven battery.

Still another feature of the presentv invention is to provide a charging apparatus that eliminates undesirable drafts` in the coking chambers accompanying the use of charging devices heretofore known in the art.

Still another feature of the present invention is. to provide a charging apparatus that is simple in design and economical in constructionand maintenance.

More particularly, the present invention provides` in combination with ahorizontal` coke oven battery having a plurality of spaced parallel horizontal coking chambers intermediate flued` heating walls therefor, each chamber having a` plurality of charging holesin` the upper portion thereof, a coal charging device comprising: a larry car adapted to move along the top of the battery into position with the charging holes in the upper portion` of said chambers in a path normal to the parallel longitudinal axes of said` colting chambers; a first conveyor system mounted on said larry car adapted to deliver coal to said charging holes; and a second conveyor system, at least a portion of which is positioned alongside said coke oven battery, preferably out of the way of the ends of the tops of the coking chambers and heating walls, as by overhan-ging beyond the pusher side face of the battery, and communicating at one end with said first conveyor system on top of thebattery and communicating also with a coal source whereby coal can be delivered from said source by said secondV conveyor system to said first conveyor system and then by said firstV system to said top charging holes of said chambers.

It will be obvious to one skilled in the art that various changes can be made in the.` arrangement, form, construction, and type of the elements disclosed` herein without departing from the scope or spirit of this invention.

Reference will now be made tothe accompanying drawings, which illustrate and exemplify a preferred embodiment of the invention adaptedV for 'the practice thereof.

Figurel is a schematic plan view of the inventive combination of a horizontal coke oven battery and charging device therefor.

Figure 2 is an enlarged elevational view taken on the lines 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged elevational view of the larry car atop the coke oven battery of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a top plan view of the structure disclosed in Figure 3.

Referring to Figure l` of the drawing, a conventional Positioned at one end of the battery 2, is a coal storage` bin 10. This coal storage bin can be of a conventional type, having discharge chutes xed to the lower portion thereof as is welleknown in the art. Communicatively connected with this storage bin 10 isa conveyor 14, which conveyor connects the storage bin with aweigh tank 12. Another conveyor 16 connects the Weigh tank 12 with a belt conveyor 34.

The belt conveyor 34is of theconventional endless type and has positioned between its upper and lower llights a tripper car 24, which is connected to the larry car 22, by a semi-universal, ilexible coupling 44. The semi-univer sal coupling compensates for differences between: the height of the larry .car and the tripper car when thelarr car travels along the` top of the oven battery.

As' shown in Figure 2, the entire tripper mechanism and belt conveyor is supported in overhanging relation on the side of the battery by a framework 32 mounted on platform 30 on the oven buckstays. Idle rollers 36 are positioned under the upper flight of the belt conveyor 34 and idle rollers 38 are positioned under the lower tiight of the belt conveyor 34. A hood or roof 40 which is supported by yframework 42-mounted on the platform 30, projects over the upper liight of the belt conveyor 34 to protect the coal carried by this liight from the wind and ram.

vAs shown in Figure 2, the tripper car 24, the body of which is positioned between the upper and lower ights of the belt conveyor 34, is mounted on the wheels 48, which travel along the set of rails 50, mounted on the supporting framework 32.

Attached to the tripper mechanism 24, is a discharge chute 52. This discharge chute 52, communicates with a hopper 54, that is mounted on the larry car 22. Communicating with the lower 'portion of hopper 54 is one end of a longitudinal screwy conveyor 56, which extends.

across the lower chassis portion of larry car 22, in a position substantially normal to the direction of travel of the larry car.

The longitudinal screw conveyor 56, has a plurality of openings in the lower portion thereof, spaced in accordance with the spacing of the top charging holes 4, of the coking chambers. Communicating with each of these holes is a lateral screw feeder 58, mounted on the lower portion of the larry car and extending substantially parallel to the direction of travel of the car, or normal to the longitudinal axes of the longitudinal screw conveyor 56. Connected to the unattached ends of each of the lateral screw feeders 58 are the boots 60. The boots 60 are of the conventional type, well-known in the art, and are adapted to be lowered into position when the larry car has moved them into alignment with the charging holes 4, of a coking chamber.

Bearing supports 63 and 75, extend from the under portion of the chassis of the larry car 22 to support the axles 74. Fixed to the extremities of these axles 74, are the wheels 62, which ride along a set of rails 64, mounted on the top portion of the coke oven battery. A motor 66, mounted on the larry car, rotatably drives axle 74 throguh a clutch 68, a speed reducer 70, an-d a chain and sprocket assembly 72.4 Attached to the other end of the shaft of the motor 66 is a clutch 76, which, when placed in engaged position, operates a chain and sprocket assembly 78, connected to the longitudinal screw conveyor 56 of the larry car. Each of the lateral screw feeders 58, are operated individually through speed reducers 82, by motors 80.

Controls for the motor 66, the clutches 68 and 76, and the motors 80, are located in a cab 46, positioned on the larry car 22. f

The clutches disclosed in the preferred embodiment of this invention are of the pneumatic type; however, it is to be understood that other type clutches such as magnetic ones can be used if so desired. As is well known in the art, a safety interlock is provided through these clutches. This interlock prevents the screw drive from operating when the larry car 22 is in motion.

In the operation of this inventive device, an operator positioned in cab 46 of larry car 22 actuates the controls, engaging clutch 68 and causing motor 60 to drive'the larry car along rails 64 on the top of the coke oven battery 2. When the boots 60 carried by the larry car are properly aligned with the charging holes 4 of the coking chamber selected to be charged, the operator stops the movement of' the larry car and the boots are lowered into charging position. It is to be noted that since the tripper car .24 is attached to Vlarry car 22 through the coupling 44, it will move along the rails 50 as the larry car moves along rails 60.

' The bootsbeing in proper position, the operator se'- quentially actuates the controls for'the engagementof clutch 76, causing motor 60 to operate chain and sprocket drive 78, connected to the longitudinal screw conveyor 56. It is to be understood that when clutch 76 is in engagement, clutch 68 is out of engagement as a result of the aforementioned interlock device. The operator also actuates the individual motors 80, causing the lateral screw feeders 58 to operate through the speed reducers 82. It is to be understood that the speed of the individual lateral screw feeders 58 can be varied if so desired in order to equalize the tiow of coal into the top charging holes. If direct current motors are used, this can be accomplished by varying the speed of the motors. If alternating current motors are used, the reducers for the individual conveyors can be of the variable speed type and operated by remote control.

In further description of the operation, the screw conveyor 56, screw feeders 58, their respective power means, the hopper connected to the screw conveyor and the boots all comprise a. part of the first conveyor system. The second conveyor system is comprised of the series of communicating belt conveyors 34, 16 and 14, and the tripper mechanism 24.

With the first conveyor system in operation, and assuming that a selected quantity of coal has already been conveyed from the storage bin 10 to the weigh tank 12 by conveyor 14, the operator actuates the controls for the conveyors 16 and 34, which comprise a part of the second conveyor system. The coal is carried from the weigh tank along these conveyors to the point where the trip mechanism 24 has been moved by the larry car 22. As a result of the operation of the tripper mechanism, the coal falls through discharge chute 52 into the hopper 54 of the second conveyor system. lt is then passed from this hopper by the longitudinal screw conveyor 56 and lateral screw feeders 58 through the boots 60 into the top charging holes 4 with which the boots have been aligned. When the weigh tank 12 has been emptied, the operator can stop the operation of belts 16 and 34 and start the operation of belt 14 to convey another selected quantity of coal from the storage bin 10 to the weigh tank. The aforedescribed batch operation can then be repeated. It is to be understood that belt 34 can be operated continuously, or if desired, all of the belts of the second conveyor system can be operated at once for a controlled time, omitting the batch weighing step at tank 12.

What is claimed is: l. The combination with a horizontal coking oven battery having a plurality of spaced parallel horizontal coking chambers, each chamber having a plurality of top charging holes in the upper portion thereof, of a coal charging device comprising a larry car mounted to move along the top of said battery in a path normal to the parallel, longitudinal axes of said coking chamber, a'first conveyor system mounted on said larry car to deliver coal to said charging holes, and a second conveyor system positioned in projecting overhanging relation beyond the ends of the coking chambers and heating walls along one longitudinal side of the top of said coke oven battery and communicable along the length of the same with said first conveyor system and communicable with a coal source, said first conveyor system being mounted on the larry car to extend from said second conveyor system at the ends of the coking chambers at said longitudinal side of the battery, lengthwise along the top of the chambers into communication with their top charging holes, whereby to deliver coal from said source along the top of the side of the battery by said second conveyor system to said first conveyor system and then by said first system to said top charging holes of said chambers.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said iirst conveyor system comprises a longitudinal screw conveyor mounted on said larry car, a longitudinal axis of said screw conveyory being substantially normal to the'path of, travel of said larry car; a hopper positioned on said larry car at the end of said screw conveyor adjacent the overhanging secondary conveyor to receive coal from said second conveyor system, and a plurality of spaced lateral screw feeders positioned on said larry car and communi- `cating with said screw conveyor to feed coal laterally from said longitudinal screw conveyor to the top charging holes of the several ovenchambers when said larry car brings said screw feeders into alignment with the charging holes of the individual ovens.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said second conveyor system comprises an endless belt conveyor system, extending along the pusher side of said battery.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3 and which includes a tripper mechanism associated with the endless belt conveyor system at the pusher side of the oven, said tripper mechanism being adapted to pass the coal from said second conveying system to said rst conveying system.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4 and which includes a weighing tank interposed in a position along the conveying path of said second conveying system, for weighing the quantity of coal fed from said coal source to said first conveying system by said second conveying system.

6. The combination with a horizontal coke oven battery comprising heating walls alternating side-byside with spaced parallel coke chambers having top charging holes in the oven roof, of a coal charging device comprising a larry car mounted to move along the top of said battery in a path normal to the parallel longitudinal axes of said coking chambers, a longitudinal feed screw conveyor mounted on said larry car substantially normal to the path of travel of said larry car, a plurality of spaced lateral screw feeders positioned on said larry car, one end of each of said screw feeders communicating with said screw conveyor; boots mounted at the opposite end ofeach of said screw feeders, said boots being adapted to be lowered into register with said top charging holes of the coking chamber selected to be charged when said boots have been brought into alignment with said charging holes; an endless belt conveyor system communicating with a coal source, said belt conveyor system extending lengthwise alongside the pusher side of said oven battery at the top thereof; a tripper mechanism associated with said belt conveyor and movable along the same at the pusher side of the oven; `a discharge chute connected to said tripper mechanism to pass coal from said endless belt conveyor system; and a hopper in position on said larry car at the end thereof alongside the endless conveyor system, to pass coal from the discharge chute to the longitudinal feed screw conveyor on the larry car.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 6, and which includes a coupling device connecting said tripper mechanism with said larry car.

8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 7, and in which said coupling device comprises a device of the semi-universal type to allow for accommodating possible differences in elevation between said larry car and said tripper mechanism as the larry car moves along the battery with the tripper during their movement alongside the endless conveyor system.

References Cited in the file of 'this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 533,007 Gondouin Ian. 22, 1895 661,842 Blaisdell Nov. 13, 1900 1,585,694 Schoew May 25, 1926 FOREIGN PATENTS 549,318 Germany Apr. 26, 1932 

1. THE COMBINATION WITH A HORIZONTAL COKING OVEN BATTERY HAVING A PLURALITY OF SPACED PARALLEL HORIZONTAL COKING CHAMBERS, EACH CHAMBER HAVING A PLURALITY OF TOP CHARGING HOLES IN THE UPPER PORTION THEREOF, OF A COAL CHARGING DEVICE COMPRISING A LARRY CAR MOUNTED TO MOVE ALONG THE TOP OF SAID BATTERY IN A PATH NORMAL TO THE PARALLEL, LONGITUDINAL AXES OF SAID COKING CHAMBER, A FIRST CONVEYOR SYSTEM MOUNTED ON SAID LARRY CAR TO DELIVER COAL TO SAID CHARGING HOLES, AND A SECOND CONVEYOR SYSTEM POSITIONED IN PROJECTING OVERHANGING RELATION BEYOND THE ENDS OF THE COKING CHAMBERS AND HEATING WALLS ALONG ONE LONGITUDINAL SIDE OF THE TOP OF SAID COKE OVEN BATTERY AND COMMUNICABLE ALONG THE LENGTH OF THE SAME WITH SAID FIRST CONVEYOR SYSTEM AND COMMUNICABLE WITH A COAL SOURCE, SAID FIRST CONVEYOR SYSTEM BEING MOUNTED ON THE LARRY CAR TO EXTEND FROM SAID SECOND CONVEYOR SYSTEM AT 